With an even spread between premium sedans and SUVs, the current Maserati line-up mostly trends towards practical and spacious, rather than all-out speed and raw thrills. They still cater for the wild side, though, with some scorching performance variants of their mainstream models, and a proper supercar at the top of the range. Let’s find out which Maseratis will be good for families.
The current range
Maserati’s current-generation line-up started out with two saloons, the Quattroporte and Ghibli, which were soon followed by a large SUV, the Levante. The fourth mass-market (if such a term could ever be applied to any Maserati) model arrived very recently, in the form of the mid-sized Grecale crossover, and aims to capture a larger slice of the premium-SUV cake. This model is not available in South Africa as yet, but we expect it to arrive on local shores in the second half of 2022.
At the very top of the Maserati range sits the MC20 supercar, which has been revealed and even tested here in South Africa, but is still stuck in limbo as far as deliveries are concerned. This is largely due to component shortages for this clean-sheet design, as well as the current focus on expanding Maserati’s range of larger-volume models.
So, while you can theoretically order an MC20, the chances are that you’ll wait a long time before it arrives at your doorstep. Consequently, we’ll ignore this model for the purpose of this article – but even if we didn’t, the conclusion would anyway be that the MC20 is not good for families at all, on account of it having only two seats and dubious practicality.
Practicality and space
All models in Maserati’s current local line-up have cabin space for at least 4 adults and their luggage, although the smaller (but still quite big) Ghibli sedan has limited rear-seat accommodation due to its comparative lack of legroom. This isn’t a problem in the taller Levante or longer Quattroporte, however, because those are built for all-round occupant comfort.
The smallest luggage compartment in the range also belongs to the Ghibli, although its 500-litre capacity is very spacious in its own right. The Quattroporte improves on this figure with a quoted 530-litres of boot space, and the Levante has 580-litres on offer in 5-seater mode.
While data for the Grecale is not yet locally available, it’s safe to assume that it, too, will have a very large boot when it arrives, because the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, with which the smallest Maserati shares its “Giorgio” platform, features a solid 640-litres of cargo space. Plenty of room for strollers, nappy bags, and all the chattel that need to travel with children, then!
Safety
Seeing as the three larger Maseratis are all derived from the same platform, it’s safe to assume that they’ll feature similar safety ratings. And, while neither the Levante nor the Quattroporte have been crash-tested by any NCAP organisation, the Ghibli achieved a 5-star score in 2014 ANCAP testing, which bodes well for its siblings in the safety stakes. The Grecale is still too new to have been hurled at an obstacle, but its Alfa Romeo sibling achieved 5 stars in 2017, so the Grecale is off to a good start already.
The full suite of modern safety assistants is standard, and includes ABS, stability control, 6 airbags, and rear ISOFIX child seat anchors. To this, buyers can add a driver’s assistance pack, which brings adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, a surround-view camera, and blind-spot alert to the specification sheet. Some of these items are optional on lower-trim variants, but are included in the standard equipment of high-trim derivatives.
Comfort and convenience
In a car that’s unashamedly aimed at the luxury market, you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be plenty of nice-to-haves in a modern Maserati. They may not have full-size digital instrument clusters or frivolous gadgets in the way of most competitors (although some of those can be ordered as options), but the standard toy count is nonetheless very comprehensive.
Family-use conveniences include plenty of USB- and 12V power ports, available rear-seat entertainment systems, hands-free access, and powered tailgates, meaning that most of Maserati’s current models should be quite helpful to parents.
Verdict
While we’re still waiting to take a closer look at the Grecale, the 3 currently-available Maserati models tick all the boxes for family use, and the upcoming mid-sizer should follow suit. In the current range, the Ghibli is the least well-suited for family use, even though it is still a solid choice as a plush family car despite its slightly cramped rear seats.
Keyword: Is Maserati good for families?